State of emergency declared in Malaysia

Malaysia has declared a state of emergency in its southern coastal towns of Muar and Ledang. The two districts are in a state of shutdown because of the heavy smog currently blanketing the region, drifting from forest fires in Indonesia. People in the area have been told to stay indoors as the smog is hazardous to health.Air pollution has also become worse in Kuala Lumpur, the haze shrouding the city’s skyscrapers and buildings. Smog has become an annual problem in Malaysia, the BBC writes, but this is the first time in eight years that a state of emergency has been called. One resident told the BBC: “You wake up in the morning and you can smell burnt wood – you look out the window and there is constant smog clouding the major landmarks that you would ordinarily see. If you go outside, it’s like constantly standing close to a small barbecue.”BBC[pictured: Image showing pollution over Indonesia and Indian Ocean, 22 October 1997]

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